CENTRE
SEOUL'S
Freedom Centre, which wili eventually cost some US$ 2,400,000, has been built by the Asian People's Anti-Communist Leaque as a training and administrative centre.
About two-thirds complete, the centre stands in 50 acres of grounds donated by the South Korean Gov- ernment. There are three major structures: a five-storey main building, a 17-storey International Freedom House, and an international con- ference hall now under construction.
The centre is located on the south- eastern slope of Namsan Hill, in the middle of a scenic forest known as
the Changchundan Park. It com- mands an <xtensive view of the Kyongbok Palace and Capitol to the north and the gently curving Han River to the south.
On its elevated site, the 17-storey block the tallest in Korea is visible from a large part of the City of Seoul. It has a basement and a sub-basement level, and above the roof are two further storeys, set back from all four facades.
The block serves no other function than to provide hotel accommodation to foreign visitors, students and trainees. Consequently, the building is divided into bedrooms and lounges as in a hotel.
However it also serves as a monu- ment and a striking effect has been achieved by making the area of the seventeenth floor almost equal to the ground area, while the lower floors taper into a low waist at fifth floor level.
Four massive reinforced concrete pillars at the corners of the building provide the main support, and floor beams run diagonally between them.
The tower contains 89 living rooms and 93 bedrooms. It is 219 ft. high, has a building coverage of 7,427 sq. ft. and a gross floor area of 86,035 sq. ft.
Four high speed lights are installed.
a
The centre's main building five-storey reinforced concrete build- ing with a total floor area of 84,386 sq. ft.-houses the secretariat, educa- tion centre public information office, library and a large meeting hall. is 126 ft. wide, 358 ft. long and 73 ft. high.
Huge Parapet
It
A mezzanine floor is included be- tween ground and first floor, and an 846 sq. ft. penthouse is placed on the roof.
Feature of this building is an enor- mous parapet on the north side. Supported by 12 huge pillars, the parapet extends out 88 ft. 6 in. from the fourth floor and rises high above the roof in a graceful curve. More than 150,000 board feet of formwork was used for this feature.
The main building and the Inter- national Freedom House are almost entirely of exposed reinforced con- crete.
new
The process is relatively to the Korean construction industry and it was necessary to conduct care-
open skylight :
Far East Architect & Builder August, 1965
IN
DOJE
open skylight
Cross section of main building
View of main building from south west corner
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